Select Regions

EA Recommends Hilarious Work-Around for Red Alert 3 CD Key Issue

Nathan Grayson
Nov 05, 2008

Page 1 of 10

Amidst all the panicked hubbub of the holiday season, EA slipped Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 into stores last week -- or at least, most of it. Not included in many unlucky game boxes was a mega-crucial 0.0001% of the game experience: the last digit of the Red Alert 3's CD Key. Uh-oh.

Fret not, however, if you're planning to commandeer and consume a copy of the game, because EA's brightest minds have put their synapses into overdrive in order to whip up a
work-around
.

"There is currently a work-around that may allow you to bypass this issue. Since you have the first 19 characters of the code already, you can basically try guessing the last character," said a note on EA's customer support site.

Yes, they're serious.

"To do this, simply enter your existing code, and then for the last character, try the letters A-Z, and then the numbers 0-9. You should eventually get the right combination, and be able to play the game."

EA: Its head isn't in the game. Seriously, there's no excuse for such shoddy work from one of gaming's biggest publishers. Get your act together, guys.

Dream Machine:

Magazine:

For nearly 20 years, Maximum PC is considered by enthusiasts to be the absolute source for the latest hardware reviews, in-depth analysis, and breaking news on the latest PC hardware. Our team of industry experts give you the guidance you need to make the most informed buying decisions and deliver the best guides on how to use and optimize your experience. If you’re looking for the definitive reference on PC hardware, you’ve found it.